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Video:How to Roll Sushi

It's easier than you may think to roll sushi. Our chef shows you how to roll sushi at home without professional training.See Transcript

Transcript:How to Roll Sushi

Hi. I'm Erica Wides of Chef Smartypants.com, here in New York City for About.com. And, today I'm here to give you some very helpful tips on how to properly roll suski maki rolls.

Preparing to Roll Sushi

Make sure that you lightly rinse your hands in water that some rice vinegar added to it. And then, shake off the excess moisture. You always want to make sure that you wrap your sushi rolling matt titghtly in plastic, because that will prvent any rice from getting stuck in between the little bamboo strips which can easily get stuck in there and is very hard to wash out.

How to Roll Sushi at Home

Put your hand into the large bowl of rice, and lift out the rice, about the size of a large tangerine and gently form it into a loose cylinder. Lay the rice down parallel to the piece of Nori. And gently push it down toward the opposite end with your hand. Spread the rice to the top and bottom of the Nori, making sure that you're not pressing the rice, just moving it. Try not to smear the rice, or crush it, just move it very gently from top to bottom.

When you're ready to roll the maki, use your thumbs to left the mat and use your fingers to hold the fillings in place. Lift the bottom edge of the mat up and over the filling so that the bottom edge of the Nori meets the front edge of the filling, then grip it tightly and squeeze it off into a square shape. Unroll the mat, and the use it to finish rolling your maki. Make sure you place the finished maki seam side down, so that the maki has a chance to seal itself up before you cut. The main difference between the inside out roll and the regular maki roll is that the rice is coating the outside of the Nori.

Tips for Making an Inside Out Sushi Roll

When making an inside out roll make sure that the rice covers the complete surface of your sheet of Nori. Very carefully flip the Nori over, so that the rice is face down on your mat, and then, put your fillings on the uncovered side of the Nori. When you're ready to roll the inside out roll you want to be very careful not to damage the rice on the outside. So, lift up very carefully from the bottom, lift up and over and then gently continue to roll.

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